I just got my first mikrotik router after being impressed by an old model at my workplace and noticed it had container capability;
But for some reason even though I noticed it having a USB light indicator- theres no actual USB port?
I tried installing a container for ad blocking - adguard was the last one I saw since it looked like small size, but even that one does not want to extract because of too little space in the router.

My question is if theres any way to pull packages onto the RAM memory instead of storage and installing it from there to see if it will work- or have an external storage device thats connected by the Ethernet port or *something* that will allow me to install useful containers?

If there isnt; what containers can I actually put in there without needing more than 90MB space?

You may have some luck ...
Using Rose-storage package it should be possible to use some RAM as ramdisk.
https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ ... ge-RAMdisk

And then you should be able to store containers there.

Be aware though, for now the pulling part of the container-setup is on flash.
Second remark: ramdisk means: reboot = everything gone.

It is indeed a pity there was no USB port added to AX2.

I already managed to do that but that means, like you said, I will have to never turn the router off or ill have to just reinstall everything again; Turns out even adguard home container uses at least 140-190Mb; which is well over the storage space of the router, sadly;
Is there any way to use an ethernet port as extended storage? Or should I just be looking at a dedicated machine for such containers

Same Rose-storage package should allow this.
NFS or SMB

Alright SMB sounds perfect- any documentation on how to do it properly?

https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ ... torage-SMB

I did try that but I cant seem to make it work.
Can it not have password protection on the SMB path?

The docs could be improved for sure...they do mention the parameters but have no description.

But add a "smb-password=".

If you hit <tab> at the CLI it will show all the options to commands, include ROSE.

The docs could be improved for sure...they do mention the parameters but have no description.

But add a "smb-password=".

If you hit <tab> at the CLI it will show all the options to commands, include ROSE.

Oh I see- and what is the smb-share? the location on the device?
I also see an smb-encryption command though im not sure what to write on that one either

I’m not sure it needs to be set. But if you hit <tab> after equal sign smb-encryption=<tab> it will show the options. But I’ve never set it. the smb-share= is the SMB name.

I’m not sure it needs to be set. But if you hit <tab> after equal sign smb-encryption=<tab> it will show the options. But I’ve never set it. the smb-share= is the SMB name.

What is the smb name supposed to be?

Well, it's the share name you're using on the other end. If both ends are Mikrotik, the smb-share= is the client, but it be same as the smb-export= set on the ROS ROSE server-side. If the SMB share is from windows/NAS its the part after the the single slash e.g. smb-share=myshare smb-if the SMB path was \\mycomputer\myshare (with smb-address= ideally the IP address of of "mycomputer" in this example).

Well, it's the share name you're using on the other end. If both ends are Mikrotik, the smb-share= is the client, but it be same as the smb-export= set on the ROS ROSE server-side. If the SMB share is from windows/NAS its the part after the the single slash e.g. smb-share=myshare smb-if the SMB path was \\mycomputer\myshare (with smb-address= ideally the IP address of of "mycomputer" in this example).

Yeah so i did try it correctly but it didnt seem to work...weird.
Ill just wait until I get a new tik with a USB lol

I've used NFS between two Mikrotik for containers and that's worked perfectly.

ROSE SMB does seem a little more finicky. SMB only works in latest stable to a MacOS. I've never tested it to actual Windows share, but perhaps the smb-encryption needs to be sent. But if the other end is a NAS box, I'd recommend trying NFS instead.

Ill just wait until I get a new tik with a USB lol

And, yes, it's disappointing that the hAPax2 doesn't have a USB port. It's predecessor hAPac2 had one...

I've used NFS between two Mikrotik for containers and that's worked perfectly.

ROSE SMB does seem a little more finicky. SMB only works in latest stable to a MacOS. I've never tested it to actual Windows share, but perhaps the smb-encryption needs to be sent. But if the other end is a NAS box, I'd recommend trying NFS instead.

Nope, its a windows installation that I use for multiple stuff including file sharing over the network.
I was going to go for a linux install as a server to replace it so it can run containers on that instead, but theres neither the time nor the experience with linux for me to do that yet.
Either way im still a bit mad that the ax2 didnt come with a USB

Maybe someone else has an idea on ROS SMB to Windows... It really should work, or at least a bug.

Maybe someone else has an idea on ROS SMB to Windows... It really should work, or at least a bug.

When i tried it it just made a folder path in the router's storage using the path i did, without the start double \ - it just made a single one there. Im not sure if im doing something wrong or what

I tested this myself since I was curious about Windows and ROSE SMB. I got it to work. I had to use a use a local user (with permissions to the share), with all the options below...

I tested this myself since I was curious about Windows and ROSE SMB. I got it to work. I had to use a use a local user (with permissions to the share), with all the options below...

Code: Select all

/disk/add smb-share=temp smb-address=192.168.123.123 type=smb smb-user=mikrotik smb-password=forum slot=winsmb smb-encryption=yes    

Yup did pretty much the same, the "temp" was "F/dns" folders for me- i didnt do slot=winsmb since im not sure what it does. Could be the reason?

Yup did pretty much the same, the "temp" was "F/dns" folders for me- i didnt do slot=winsmb since im not sure what it does. Could be the reason?

I used slot=winsmb this time and it did seem to work out but when installing/downloading the container, it ended up with this error:
https://i.imgur.com/ZgXCfIF.png

Turns out its becuase its not ext3/ext4, it will error out;
Making a flash drive and formatting it into ext4 and plugging it into the windows machine, it can share the drive; but then the disk mounting doesnt seem to work on the MK; at least not with slot=winsmb

Not sure where to go from there

I didn't test the SMB share with a container. But I'm not sure the file system matters since it's abstracted by SMB, but would have to be readable on the Windows side.

Not discounting a bug in ROSE, and not expert in modern Windows, but not sure Windows support sharing a ext4 disk (but maybe?). But any reason to not just create the share from a real disk on Windows PC/server for the container? You can always move the container to a USB stick when you get a Mikrotik that has one

I didn't test the SMB share with a container. But I'm not sure the file system matters since it's abstracted by SMB, but would have to be readable on the Windows side.

Not discounting a bug in ROSE, and not expert in modern Windows, but not sure Windows support sharing a ext4 disk (but maybe?). But any reason to not just create the share from a real disk on Windows PC/server for the container? You can always move the container to a USB stick when you get a Mikrotik that has one

Windows doesnt support ext3/4 , so the container on the MK cannot actually be installed. I was thinking of just reinstalling my windows server to a linux (debian) one, but since im much much much less familiar with linux systems- that idea is put on the side for now...
Also while windows cannot read the ext4 USB i had tried to plug, it was still possible to share the drive somehow; even though it didnt seem to want to open nor to get mounted on the mikrotik, which is a shame.